The Future of GoHaynesvilleShale.com: A question for members

Much has changed since the website went live in 2008.  The Haynesville Shale was a huge issue across NW LA and E TX and for good reason.  A declining oil and gas industry was revitalized and intense competition in the new age of unconventional exploration and production was an economic stimulus for land owners and businesses.  The membership over a handful of months surpassed 20,000 members.  GoHaynesvilleShale.com became the go to resource for mineral owners looking to get information and have their questions answered.

Now, over seventeen years, the Haynesville Shale has matured and a number of other unconventional plays we have followed have emerged, proven uneconomic and faded away.  The Austin Chalk, Lower Smackover Brown Dense and the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale have all come and gone.  Portions of the play area have contracted and expanded as drilling and completion technologies have advanced.  New mineral plays have emerged like the Smackover Lithium play evolving across SW AR and E TX and possibly portions of N LA.  It will take a few years to see how that plays out, proves profitable for companies and enriches some mineral owners.

Over the years interest in and participation on the website has waxed and waned.  A normal progression as those O&G plays come and go and mature.  The Haynesville Shale may very well have new life with additions to the producing fairway on the east and west edges.  Some members have an interest in the emerging Western Haynesville play especially as it progresses eastward and more major operators become involved.

The challenge for GoHaynesvilleShale.com is twofold.  The site host has caused problems and limited the ability of members to fully benefit from the functionalities that were once operational.  Attempts to fix and address those problems have been less than totally successful.  A new host would take care of those issues and make being a member more valuable but there is a cost involved in creating a new platform under a new host.  And the number of active members has declined.

The website has been free to use for all of those seventeen years and has undoubtedly benefitted many hundreds of mineral owners.  The number of active members does not include those who regularly view the discussions on the website but do not join as members because they do not care to post discussions or make replies in ongoing discussion threads.  It would be ideal for those non-members to still have access to the website but how does that impact the cost versus income balance required to keep GoHaynesvilleShale.com online and available to help members and non-members?

While we explore the cost of a new host and site format, I would like to make a couple of suggestions and ask for comments from the members.  There are one-time costs involved and then ongoing monthly hosting costs.  If ad revenue and donations exceed the monthly costs, the website could remain online.  If members who continue to benefit from the knowledge provided wish to make a donation to help cover the one-time costs that would help defray the expense of the new host and site architecture, that would be a big step in keeping GoHaynesvilleShale.com online and helping mineral owners.

What do members think about a modest annual subscription to be a member who can post discussions, reply in discussion threads and fully access all the different portions of the website?  Should anyone be able to view the site for free even if they do not post?  Maybe a subscription for access and a somewhat greater one for the ability to post?  Do you value the benefits of GoHaynesvilleShale.com enough to help keep it online?  Do you have any suggestions on how to accomplish that?

 

Views: 1271

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by VSC DeSoto South on September 28, 2025 at 16:18

I would be open to paying a annual subscription.

This site has been very helpful to me, especially in the early years.

Thank you for being here.

I didn't know there was "lithium" activity. I am going to search for information on this subject on this site immediately. See, this site is an invaluable source of knowledge.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on September 28, 2025 at 23:44

VSC, thank you.  There are three new group pages for the Smackover Lithium play.  One for each state: Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.  See them listed in the right hand column of the main page.

Permalink Reply by w.r. frank on October 2, 2025 at 5:14

Count me in. After a couple of months, a user should not have continued access to view the site.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on October 2, 2025 at 6:15

Thanks, WR.  Interesting thought.  So maybe sixty days of free access?  And then a required subscription?

Permalink Reply by Hale Yayuh 21 hours ago

If you decide to go to paid, that free access period converting seems a good idea to investigate/consider. (And I cannot say that requiring a subscription is the way to go, even though I understand and accept the predicament.) It takes times such that you are doing to figure out a good move. The vast majority of sites do not require pay. But this is a very small forum, a niche, so, it might work. Once again, what I have seen work is a concerted pitch/effort (via email and PM but email is more direct, does not require the member to login to get to them... assuming that your emails get to them) to solicit donations once/year. I know of two sites that are still up and running that do that. They are not overboard with it, but do employ a definite annual strategy. One can even think of a humongous site such as Wikipedia; they employ an annual fund-raising period.

Permalink Reply by Quattro on October 2, 2025 at 13:10

Hello - have you considered using a Reddit platform (can you require membership to a Reddit?)or a closed Facebook group?  These are not great for searching past content but may be economical?

I hate the message boards have lost popularity and do not think those platforms are superior (quite the opposite in fact), but may be better overall?

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on October 2, 2025 at 13:16

Thanks for the suggestions, Quattro.  I'm waiting for Keith to finish his review of options.

Permalink Reply by Paw on Monday

I’m in.  Small acreage owner here, but I check the site every week.  Thanks.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on Monday

Thanks, Paw.  I appreciate your support.

Permalink Reply by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher) on Tuesday

Getting answers, hopefully I will have a clear picture here soon

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on Tuesday

We look forward to hearing what you find, Keith.  Thanks for exploring the options.

Permalink Reply by Ryan Howrish 14 hours ago

Although sporadic, most of my interactions are trying to answer questions that people have. It's interesting to see the types of questions mineral owners have, and I prefer threads that are specifically relevant to the Haynesville (e.g., operator X selling to operator Y) compared to more general industry news. I know lots of land groups at operators and mineral acquisition companies browse the threads but I don't know how many are members.

I'm not sure if I would pay for a subscription or not. It would largely depend on the cost.

RSS

Support GoHaynesvilleShale.com

Top Content 

1 The Future of GoHaynesvilleShale.com: A question for members

The Future of GoHaynesvilleShale.com: A question for members
2 A Haynesville Shale "leasing frenzy" in central Texas

A Haynesville Shale "leasing frenzy" in central Texas
3 Smackover Lithium Announces Positive Definitive Feasibility Study Results for its South West Arkansas Project

Smackover Lithium Announces Positive Definitive Feasibility Study Results for its South West Arkansas Project
4 VIAJE Oil & Gas, Bossier Parish Activity

VIAJE Oil & Gas, Bossier Parish Activity
5 Does anyone have any benchmarks for a well decline rate or decline curves in a chart or rate decline by year format?

Does anyone have any benchmarks for a well decline rate or decline curves in a chart or rate decline by year format?
6 When will the music stop for US LNG?

When will the music stop for US LNG?
7 The future of GoHaynesvilleShale

The future of GoHaynesvilleShale

Groups

Blog Posts

Tuscaloosa Trend Sits On Top Of Poorest Neighbourhood For Decades - Yet No Royalties Ever Paid To The Community -- Why??

In researching the decades-old Tuscaloosa Trend and the immense wealth it has generated for many, I find it deeply troubling that this resource-rich formation runs directly beneath one of the poorest communities in North Baton Rouge—near…

Continue

Posted by Char on May 29, 2025 at 14:42 — 4 Comments

Not a member? Get our email.



© 2025   Created by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service